what is a decent price for an anvil?

the anvil I'm thinking of buying is quite small, only 5kg (11.something lbs) and looks to be steel. what would be the minimum price for an anvil of this size, and is it worth it?(I plan on smithing small blades) any help would be useful, but I live in Portugal, so please don't say that there's a really cheap anvil in (insert American mega-store name here), you will hurt my feelings by being insensitive

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Mar 6, 2010. 1:56 PM

frollard says:

Your best bet is to find a local supplier, as shipping one around the world would be extremely expensive...

Perhaps someone near you has one for free/sale: http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/pt (portugal local)

Mar 6, 2010. 2:08 PMflamesami (author) says:

sorry if I didn't make this clear, I know where I can get an anvil, I can't remember the price, and want help to figure out if it's worth it. the anvil weighs 5 kg(11 lbs)
thanks for the craigslist address though...I thought it was U.S-exclusive, so I didn't even bother...thanks! :-)

Mar 7, 2010. 8:57 AMjtobako says:

Test it. Take a ball bearing or ball pein hammer and let it fall about 20 cm to the surface of the anvil. If the anvil dents, run away from the deal-it's too soft to use (you'll destroy the flat surface very quickly, leaving marks on your blades where you don't want them). If the ball bearing bounces most of the way back up into your hand, it's good (expect to pay around $6 per kg-but those are american suppliers). If the bearing bounces half way up to your hand, it's an iffy useful and don't pay much more than maybe twice whatever scrap is going for in your area because the shape is still somewhat useful.

Mar 6, 2010. 9:11 PMorksecurity says:

Get price quotes from other reputable sources; that will tell you what price is fair. GIYF.

Mar 6, 2010. 2:18 PM

frollard says:

Ah...

In that case I have no idea what on is worth...What's 5 kilos of steel worth?

Mar 6, 2010. 2:52 PM

RavingMadStudios says:

I wouldn't expect to pay much more than $20 USD for a itty-bitty anvil. Unless it's practically free, you'd probably be better off using a section of railroad track instead.